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Young Designers Take Up Challenge of Sustainable Lighting

October 21, 2012 at 04:10pm

Electricity for lighting accounts for nearly 20% of total global electricity production and six per cent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. In many countries, much of that lighting is still provided by inefficient incandescent lights, particularly in homes. In the United States, for example, incandescent bulbs still account for nearly half of all bulbs. On the other hand, in Europe, a ban on such bulbs came into full effect this year as part of an effort to save enough energy to power 11 million households a year.

Given this urgency to encourage homes and businesses to adopt more efficient lighting and to meet the requirements of markets where such lights are already required, eye-catching and functional lightings solutions that use these “greener” light bulbs – such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or LEDs – are very much in need.

It was in this context that GE Lighting recently sponsored a design talent contest for students in the UAE, who were challenged to develop innovative aesthetically striking lighting fixtures that use GE’s energy-efficient lamp technologies.

From numerous submissions, 11 entries were shortlisted for the final round, and three winners selected: Heba Hani, a student from the American University in Dubai; Batool Al Safadi, from Abu Dhabi University; and Sanaz Mosleh, from American University in Dubai. They were chosen for their high standards of creativity and the potential for practical application of their designs.

Find out more about GE’s full portfolio of energy-efficient lighting solutions here.